Home Help: 5 ideas for repurposing kids’ bedrooms

Monday

Aug 29, 2016 at 2:01 AM

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TIP OF THE WEEKNow that your kids have launched lives of their own, you may be considering how to maximize the extra space they left behind.

Making renovations can be a fun way to turn their now-empty rooms into a useful and/or relaxing space for your own enjoyment. And your timing could be spot on; a recent survey found half of empty-nesters of pre-retirement age are opting to stay in their family homes instead of downsizing.

“Retirement isn’t all about being practical,” notes Ken Dychtwald of California-based consulting firm Age Wage. “More and more people are turning their empty nests into nurturing nests.”

Even better, with today’s easy-to-use construction tools, repurposing rooms can be stress-free and efficient. If you haven’t engaged in DIY projects lately, it’s worthwhile to check out some of the newest market innovations in saws, cordless drills, portable nailers and belt sanders. One of the most consumer-friendly is the RotoSaw+ with Dust Vault attachment from RotoZip that can effectively custom-cut a variety of materials (including drywall) while reducing the dust and debris that is sure to be produced by any great remodel project by 90 percent.

Here are some DIY ideas for using such tools to repurpose your space:

Private gym: Building a workout space right into your home should eliminate any excuses to avoid exercise. Features might include mirrored walls, storage space for gear, a sound system, extra ventilation and/or rubber floor tiles for acoustic control.

Man or woman cave: This room could incorporate an endless array of hobbies specific to your interests including reading, watching movies, creating art, practicing music, playing video games or cheering on your favorite sports team.

Guest bedroom: Now that your kids have flown the coop, you have more time to entertain friends, whereupon an appealing guest bedroom could be a boom to your social life.

Meditation room: Create a space to recharge yourself physically and mentally, perhaps with natural light, a sound system and elements of nature like plants, flowers and/or a water fountain. To achieve a Zen quality, minimal furniture and accessories are recommended. Pastels or dark colors are considered the most relaxing colors.— Brandpoint

HOME-SELLING TIPGet properly insuredHaving home insurance is a necessity. Without it, you wouldn’t have been able to get a home loan, but if you’re in the process of selling your home, you might need more coverage. As you show your home to potential buyers or host an open house, there will be an above average number of people in your house and on your property. In the event of an accident while a potential buyer is on the premises, you can protect yourself from being sued for damages by making sure your insurance covers such events. Help to avoid this situation entirely by mitigating any obvious hazards such as keeping children away from the pool or removing any dogs or cats during house showings.— More Content Now

DECORATING TIPRaise your ceiling If you wish your ceilings were higher but you can’t increase the height structurally, you can create the sense of higher ceilings. By simply painting or using the right drapes you can create the illusion of higher ceilings. Painting a ceiling white will make the room feel larger or by painting vertical stripes on the walls, you can elongate your walls. Drapes can also “increase” the height of a room. Placing drapes a few inches above the window casing can give the sense of height or using drapes with patterns, such as vertical strips, can also create the same feeling of a room being taller.— More Content Now

GARDEN GUIDEGet your lawn ready for cold weatherNo matter where you live, cool and cold weather can wreak havoc on your lawn during the winter months, but before it gets too cold to work outside you can take steps to help your lawn recover when spring comes. For the final mowings of the season, increase the height of the mower to help grass increase leaf area. Fertilizing your grass before it begins to change color will build food stores for the roots and help them survive the cooler temperatures. Repair bare spots by simply re-seeding the area as new grass grows quickly and establishes its roots better in cooler temperatures. Also be sure to remove leaves as soon as possible.— More Content Now